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A Chronology of Antarctica in the 20th Century
By: Hiram Bianchi

Whaling nations laid claim to massive territories across the continent of Antarctica. The peninsula of Antarctica is a place where Britain, Argentina, and Chile all find themselves vying for stretches of land. Other countries including New Zealand,, Norway and France have also staked claims on the continent.

The highest point of nationalism hit this continent in 1940. It occurred when Nazi Germany dropped swastika-engraved stakes over large areas of Antarctica to claim it for the Third Reich. When the world became involved in a global war, and then moved on to the Cold War, the continent was pretty much abandoned by everyone except the whale hunters. However, due to celestial happenings at that time, science was ready turn it's attention to the The Ice in a really big way.

Between 1957 and 1958, sunspot activity hit a peak that drove both scientists and governments around the globe to descend upond Antarctica where they could use its unique view of the southern hole in the Earth's magnetic field to study the earth as it was bombarded by solar radiation from sunspot activity. The scientific brain power from sixty-seven countries established bases for their operations on the continent. Because all the countries got along so well, a new treaty called the Antarctic Treaty, was formed and marks an amazing feat in international law and agreements.

The compact established Antarctica as a site for strictly peaceful objectives, and it was signed by all countries concerned in 1959. No waste dumping or nuclear bomb tests would be permitted on Antarctica. The only reason military activities were to be allowed on the continent was in the logistic support of science. Previous land claims were not addressed as a part of this treaty.

The superpowers of this era did not step forward to assert claims or otherwise interfere, although they did reservce the right to make claims in the future. Thanks to this strategy, tiny countries didn't bother to even attempt to lay any land claim.

By the 1960s, the minerals and oil that was believed to be in the Antarctic region became highly sought after. The peninsula and surrounding islands saw an extreme increase in an international presence. Antarctica's normal population is at most 5,000 in the warmer months, and the majority of those people are jammed into the scientific communities on the peninsula or the surrounding islands.

During the 1960's and 70's, the U.S., Soviet Union, Poland, Italy, Britain, Chile, and Argentina all established bases on King George Island, and during the 1980's, additional bases were opened by Peru, Uruguay, South Korea, China, and Brazil. Even though these headquarters performed true scientific activities, they were also designed to establish claims in the name of those nations. Everyone has managed to create "squatters rights" for each of their countries.

However, by the 1980's, exploitation began to give way to true science. The oceans have long been recognized as belonging to the world rather than any one country, and Antarctica is becoming the same way. Discovered by Britain's Halley Bay Antarctic base, the hole in the ozone layer is proof that the atmosphere does incur damage, in the form of cancer-causing ultraviolet radiation, from industrial activity.

This discovery began the discussions for an international agreement in 1987 that would ban the use of ozone-depleting chemicals from being used by the end of the 1990's This put Antarctica back on the map because the scientific research conducted at this location on Earth gave people a better view of how industry was changing Earth structurally and physically. As the Greenpeace movement came into full swing in the 80's and whaling became reviled by countries worldwide, international bodies thought to ban the practice in the area. They thought to set Antarctica aside as a world-park.

The Antarctic Treaty nations came to an agreement by 1991 to stop all gas and oil exploration, along with mining and irreversible exploitation of the continent for 50 years or so, as well as bringing environmental concerns to scientific levels of importance. This same country that once helped to move the Industrial Revolution through whaling is now helping man learn how to better take care of the planet and its resources.

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